"How long until you expect to see more supplies with robots taking over the third shift?" Phil asks at the second meeting of the year.

"Months, at the earliest. We only took over the factories needed the worse in Massachusetts. There's hundreds more factories in just as bad shape."

"It's like trying to bail the ocean with a kids sand pail." Weasel says.

"Exactly. They'll either have to start shutting down factories that don't manufacture the essentials and send those employees elsewhere or give all the factories robotic shifts."

"If the deaths keep up I see all the factories run by robots in a couple years." Reed says, doing the math.

"And other essential services." Tony agrees.

"Did you two find a way to clean the water?"

"Yes, we're off next week to test it. And dig a few wells."

"Speaking of water. . is there a way to create it?" Phil asks.

"We've been looking into it." Reed says slowly. "It will be needed for space travel."

"And terraforming moons if we have to." Tony says. "Not Earth's but the other planets." Nods from the others.

"How are we on raw materials?"

"Good with the mandatory recycling laws and all the condemned buildings being torn down. Putting them in crystals frees up space and means it can be anything we need."

"Weasel, your mercs?"

"Off. . ." Weasel looks at his notes. "Helping the Massachusetts state police take out a gang that wanted to bring back drugs."

"Has anybody heard if people are immune if they survived the sickness?"

"Yes and no," Essex says. "I've heard stories of people still getting sick but recovering. But then I've heard stories of people dying too. . .usually those who were in bad shape after the first illness. The problem is. . ."

"Until somebody dies there's nothing to really say you don't have a cold, the flu, food poisoning. . ." Weasel says. "Though they can tell you you have food poisoning."

"Usually by eating at the wrong restaurant."

"True."

"Are you goddamn stupid?" A judge hisses to the whining former mayor of New York. "No, you are not needed or wanted in New York."

"But they're destroying the city. Our children are having to go to school nights since their schools were torn down. I would have kept them open." He snaps.

"The schools were falling down around their ears or had been severely damaged by being shut down in the middle of winter without maintenance." He shows him footage of the schools. "You wanted kids to be in those schools?"

"I . . .I . . .I didn't know. I just saw the schools being torn down." he blubbers. "But Stark is friends with mercenaries." he hisses.

"Who are upstanding citizens who help the police protect the city."

The former mayor wails as every point he'd thought of to make them let him out of prison and back in charge of the city. .. and skimming money into his own accounts. Having to work in prison is hard. He's wailing as he's tossed back in his cell.

"Damn fool." one of the guards snorts. "Did the fucker really think he'd be able to convince a judge that he should be back in charge? The city is a thousand times better with Stark in charge. There's no homeless problem, unemployment is at zero percent, we were the first state to reopen our schools. . ."

"Mass transit runs on time, the streets are clean, there's no crime to speak of. . ."

"No police deaths in over a year. Police equipment is being replaced. . .some of that shit was older than I was but somebody. . ." he looks at the cell and the former mayor wails louder. "Wouldn't give the department the funds they needed."

"Not just the police department. . .all essential city services." The mayor sobs. . .how can that bastard Stark be running the city better than him?

"Has anybody heard from Stark about the schools that have to be torn down?" A congressman looks at people from Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York.

"Yes, they came out with something and all the debris just disappeared. We had our part to do, we sorted out steel and other recyclables. It took us three days to tear everything down carefully, it took them a couple hours to have the area empty." One of the people from Massachusetts says. "We were able to turn the land into community gardens and put up greenhouses."

"They won't be able to do that on a massive scale." Somebody snorts.

"No, this was just one building, I understand they have more that can take care of everything in a wider area. And be able to tell the difference between a building being torn down and a building going up."

"They would have had to as much demolition as they've been doing for the government in some areas." Another congressman says.

Natasha walks through a factory that Stark is interested in buying, taking pictures of everything. By the time the tour is over Natasha has a decision and the manager gulps then smiles at the nod. A few minutes later a contract to buy the factory is faxed over and they sign it in front of a lawyer.

"Stark, are you bankrupting yourself doing this?" Natasha asks as she hands Pepper the completed paperwork when she returns to the tower.

"No, betwen the state, SHIELD, and AIM's assets. . ." Clint snickers as he walks behind them. "That's one way to make them pay."

"Deaths overseas?"

"Every country that's reporting deaths has lost nearly half their population."

"Not that we know for sure how many deaths there actually are." Phil says as the door of the elevator opens, obviously been listening in on the conversation thanks to JARVIS. "Not only are some countries not reporting their real losts to keep them from looking weak. . ." Tony sighs but nods. "There's also the communist or dictatorship countries."

"China's economy must be near collapse, they export so much stuff." Pepper says slowly.

"And there were stories about their employees trying to kill themselves before all this started."

"When the Chinese economy collapses I expect they'll take some companies with them." Phil looks at Pepper.

"I'll start a list of companies that import heavily, if they're worth it we might take them over." Pepper says, Phil nods. "Commercial farms?"

"We'll be growing the same crops again, but expanding them by half. I'm growing two more varieties of potatoes in the other dimension and I have a list of new stuff I wanted to talk to everybody about."

"Is Richards planning on homeschooling the twins?"

"They're too young for Xavier's and no other school would be able to handle them."

Peter comes home one night, his aunt handing him a letter from ESU. Taking a deep breath he opens it.

"I'm in, starting this fall."

Pepper smiles the next day when he lets them know he got in. "Where's Mr. Stark?" Normally he'd be blowing up a lab or muttering about paperwork.

"He's off with Reed Richards on a ship taking care of the schools and other buildings they had to tear down across the country. They don't plan on being back for at least a month."

"Are they going to have to do a tour of the other countries?"

"Sometime in November, all the precogs are seeing the deaths from this latest round should be done by then. But they're also seeing it recurring in a couple of years."

Tony waves a hand as he walks off the elevator nearly five weeks later. "You actually slept?" Pepper asks.

"Yes, I slept. Anything I need to worry about in that pile." He waves a hand at the container of mail next to the desk.

"I handled the important stuff. . .the ones that dealt with the companies, tossed the whiny complaints in the recycling bin. Most of this is trade journals and requests for scholarships and whatnot."

"Anything happen while I was gone?"

"Peter got his acceptance letter to grad school." Tony nods in satisfaction. "Clint's wife is expecting. I sent off baby clothes and other stuff she might not be able to get around the farm." Tony nods in satisfaction.

Tony goes through his mail over the next couple of days, most of it going in the recycle bin as garbage.

"When is Bishop due back?"

"A couple months, she's coming back in time to go to orientation and sign up for her classes and books at Columbia.

There's a message from security and Tony and Clint are waiting when the door opens.

"Good morning Gentlemen, Ms. Potts." Horace says calmly. Phil is with him and gives them a high sign so they relax and turn off the shield over the door. "We found a HYDRA base empty thanks to the epidemic and found they'd created these two people. This young man is named Pietro, he's a speedster. His sister is named Wanda. . .she's got a gift of making things go wrong around her."

"I thought that was Tony in the lab." Clint mutters. Phil gives him a look, only those people who know him well know he's trying not to chuckle.

"They called it chaos magic, I throw hexes to make things happen." she says quietly.

"SHIELD and Professor Xavier have examined them to make sure there's no triggers but they need a place to stay."

"How old are you two?"

"Physically we're in our late teens."

"Old enough to be taking university classes once you have GEDs." Pepper says. The others nod. "Do they have supplies?"

"No." Tony makes a noise as he feels the hit to his wallet. This time Phil does chuckle. "Call Darcy and have her help you."

"I'll go too." Clint says. Three hours later they return with bags and boxes. The pair are led to rooms on another floor and gratefully settle in for a nap. It's been a long couple of days.

The woman that had introduced herself as Darcy taps on their doors later that night after they've put their clothes away and are looking through the books that had been purchased for their lessons.

"Time for dinner, we try to have a group dinner a few times a week."

Phil comes to the office a few days later. "Stark, don't create another AI, at least one designed to act as a global peacekeeper."

"Hadn't planned on it." He looks at him. "I don't think we need it now."

"The precogs are having fits about something called Ultron trying to take over the world."

"Nope, not going to be creating anything named Ultron. The mercenaries and other groups are taking care of any problems that might pop up."

Phil nods in satisfaction. "One less thing I need to kill you for." Pepper chuckles behind them. "Stand in line Phil, I have years of annoyances to kill him for first."

"Tell me what this program was supposed to have done?"

"It would have got loose on the internet and spread itself, it would have created a robot body for itself that you would have fought, and worse of all it would have destroyed JARVIS."

"Nope, not going to happen. JARVIS and Pepper keep this building and the company running."

"Thank you sir." JARVIS says. "Your latest seed order has arrived." Tony checks his records as JARVIS looks at the receipts and checks off everything.

"Is this the last of the seeds for this summer?"

"Yes, once everything's accounted for we'll start delivering seeds to the various gardens. The commercial farms and hydroponics get their own deliveries. They order enough to get a discount, the community gardens don't so they put in their requests through Stark."

"Are any of the former school grounds being turned into gardens?"

"At least one in Massachusetts. People are realizing that fresh grown fruit and vegetables are better than the ones you find in the stores. Especially in winter."

"Everybody's growing whatever food they can now." Pepper says. "Even in apartments."

"How is Vegas's hydroponics doing?"

"Good, I've already opened a second, larger area. And the hotels want one just for themselves."

"Vegas is probably one of the few areas that didn't see tourism drop off."

"That and Disney. Well. . .maybe not with people working two jobs." Clint says as he walks through. "And yes, I took the kids out."

Tony smirks and Pepper swats him automatically.

That weekend Peter is busy washing windows as his aunt airs out the house and starts spring cleaning. The line is full of blankets and afghans being aired out.

Sooner than he had expected but too long in the eyes of everybody who had their educations interrupted ESU is having their graduation ceremony. May smiles through her tears, wishing Ben was here to see their boy graduate. And his parents would be so proud of Peter. A hand on her shoulder has her looking around and she smiles as she sees the others settling in chairs around her. Pepper elbows Tony in the ribs when he starts to say something, making Steve smile and Clint laugh.

The fourth of July is busy in the city, everybody is celebrating in one way or another. Stark has a light show from the top of the tower, people massing in the streets to see it. Or watching it on one of the cable access channels.

Steve and Natasha are walking with Pietro and Wanda through the city when they're greeted by Matthew Murdock who has two people with him. "This is Jessica Jones and Lucas Cage, they're helping me. . .deal with some more obstreprous people along with Professor Xavier and the mercenaries."

Steve looks at him. "Some people refuse to use their powers wisely and are . . .talked to by one of us. Those who just need training are mentored."

Natasha and Steve sigh but nod. They'd both seen people dealt with, either by superiors in the Red Room for Natasha or communities during the War for Steve. Usually those people that had sided with the invaders and were now being dealt with by the survivors.

They walk the streets for a few hours, people calling out hellos as they shop or walk the streets enjoying the fresh air and sunshine after such a long winter. Natasha takes Wanda into a small speciality shop, both of them coming out with bags.

"Bath products, Natasha likes speciality products instead of what you can find on most store shelves."

The gardens go in over the next couple of weekends, supplies starting to be sent to the schools that will be opening or reopening that fall.

More than one person sighs over the empty lots that used to be schools but they're slowly being used for other reasons. Those communities that already have gardens are using them for flea markets or greenhouses.

Kate arrives back at her home a month later. She's got more stuff with her than when she left and the others shake their heads at all the textbooks. "Oh yes, Dr. Banzai is very insistent that all his people keep up with studies." She looks at the boxes and sighs. "And I should expect more books over the next few years." The others snicker and look at the time.

Kate slumps into a seat by Pepper's desk a few days later.

"Welcome back, have you signed up for your classes yet?"

"Just got back from Columbia." Kate swears lustily as Bobbi musses her hair on the way to Tony's office. The older woman just laughs. "Stark, Coulson says to beat you." Tony laughs in his office.

"That tells me I don't want to know." Pepper looks at the time and grabs her purse. "Let me treat you to a late lunch or early dinner depending on what meal you haven't had yet."

"Dinner, Columbia treated us to lunch while we were there."

"Are the dorms full?" Tony calls from his office.

"Yes, they said that things are getting back to normal with two years of seniors graduating."

"Other universities will be filling up just as fast. . .especially ones like MIT, Yale, and Harvard." Bobbi says when the two women have left the office.

"Yes, I'm already getting letters from schools about accepting interns again."

"Director Coulson says you're looking into more robotic shifts for factories?"

"The president contacted me a couple days ago with a list of factories that Congress thinks can't survive without them."

"And once you weeded out cars and other luxuries?"

"I was left with these." he puts the list on the screen, Bobbi scanning it with her device so that the list appears on Phil's screen. "There was three criteria for my decisions. . .they were necessities, they were already down to to two shifts, and they were a major employer in the area. As it is, it will take years to make all the robots to handle everything,"

"By then they might be shut down completely."

"Yes, because deaths are picking up again."

Phil sighs in his office as Bobbi curses. "Rumor has it China is entering a depression. They ramped up production in all their factories to have a surplus hoping that other countries would be forced to come to them and pay anything they wanted for it but we've been doing well on our own even with all the deaths. Now they don't have the money for supplies. They've tried calling in loans but the world courts aren't letting them, citing hardship."

"Everybody has been hit by the damn epidemic, whether they want to admit it or not."

"Exactly, the only countries that would buy from China are in the same boat they are. Anybody else is making do with what they have. Even with working two jobs, you don't see much money being spent on fancy new cars, jewelry, or other stuff."

"And I'd say we're better off than most countries." Phil says over the phone. "England has lost over 75 percent of their population. .. London is all but deserted."

"Yep, any area that can be used to grow food is. . .even the palaces and gardens. I'm going to nab the British Museum and Library when we have to clean Great Britain out. Scotland is in better shape, they have more room to grow food."

"Ireland is a mess, they still haven't stopped their infighting."

"Same with Africa and Syria. What the wars didn't kill the epidemics did."

"Stark, have you heard anything from other countries about your water cleaner?"

"England is interested. . .the Thames has been polluted for years but they're still arguing that it has to be a trick."

"Why the hell would you trick them over something like that?"

"Because politicians are the same no matter which country."

A few days later a judge gives the former mayor a disgusted look. "Moron, we've had elections for mayor. Nobody wanted the damn job. Everybody's happy with how Stark and SHIELD are running things. Even if we had an election. . .nobody would vote for you!"

"But they've gotta . . ." he wails as he's dragged out.

"Damn fool." the judge sighs after court.

"He's so sure he can find the right argument to get out of prison and get his job back so he can start skimming money again. Working in prison is hard." his bailiff says mockingly.

"Reed, Tony just called. He got a call from England about using your water cleaning gizmo on the Thames." Sue says in the middle of August. "He'll be arriving in an hour." Reed nods and starts preparing the ship. Tony helps when he arrives and they lift off, spending two weeks in England cleaning various rivers and lakes.

"How was England?" Phil asks when Tony comes dragging into the office. "You were gone longer than we expected."

"It makes you realize how small the country is. . .yes, we know it's an island."

"But whenever you think of it, it seems larger than life."

"Exactly. So many people are involved in growing their food, they live out in the country in the spring, summer, and fall then come to London in the winter so they don't have to move mass amounts of supplies across the country. Oh not everybody moves to the city. . .there's some sheepherders and farmers that have always lived out there. Entire small towns are gone, they either died or moved to larger areas for work. We were gone longer than we'd planned since we took care of a lot of their garbage and recycling, turning it into raw material they could use."

"They don't have the major recycling centers we have?"

"Shut down, there's nobody to run them. I'll create some robots to run one for them. That way stuff doesn't pile up like it had been."